The Dominion-Center Analysis

In the heart of downtown Toronto, The Dominion-Centre soars above the sky amongst its other rivals. Just on the corner of King street west and Bay, the centre engulfs its surrounding, but at the same time establishes a reveal of tranquility in such a formidably busy area. Inspecting the Dominion-Centre, a pavilion (Figure 1.) pokes out at street level, gathering the public while encompassed by the several high-rises. The building’s primary roles fulfill the global headquarters of the Toronto Dominion bank, but on the side, provides a plethora of office and retail spaces for businesses. Accommodating over twenty thousand people daily, the Dominion-Centre proves its ability as a bustling piece of architecture. With such accomplishment, it’s imperative
With numerous notorious buildings present, the dynamic intersection of King and Bay establishes a suitable host. Although the Dominion-Centre was composed by 1969, it had built a way for countless projects adjacent. For example, the First Canadian Place and even the audacious Royal Bank Plaza. The streets of King and Bay weren’t always as bountiful. Before the spark of high rises King and Bay was lot was just a mere few buildings. The Rossin House, a five-story hotel once stood on that corner, followed by a theatre and the Romaine Buildings. It wasn’t much. The mundane neighbourhood was questionable. Thereafter, the market had boomed, and Toronto was in search office space. This drastic development gave birth to the now thriving financial district. At this time, big companies begun the challenge to keep their reputations, illustrating their prosperity architecturally, hence the race to diverse architecture. Insight of this context, the density of the corresponding streets is rapidly elevating, affecting King and Bay in general. New additions like the Delta Hotel by Lower Simcoe and even the Ice Condominiums, add to the frequency. Coming back to the Dominion-Centre itself, the perimeter is aware of this influx of people. With a large spanning setback, the building plays with its neighbouring sidewalks, allowing comfortable leigh way. The thoughtfulness of circulation impacts the pedestrians and
Amongst all the renovations, the façade (Figure 3.)was kept intact showcasing growth and history. The artifact is nestled inside the Dominion-Centre, just on the eastern wall. The Bank of Toronto was massive space, consisting of detailed bays of marble. Within the bays, a colonnade of Corinthian columns easily stood out (Figure 4.) and to top it all off, the structure remained elevated above the street by a plinth, signifying its status of power. Inside you aren’t disappointed either, greeted by a wide hall, which in turn introduces a skylight of bronze mullions. The remanence of this piece of old Toronto catches the eye of plenty on Bay street. This façade can be said to compliment the great matte-black steel beams that line up beyond the